The Strength of Bonds
by Dragonchad
Summary: Harry feels a connection, one that says that somebody not only wants him, but needs his help. Of course he’ll do his best.
1. Chapter 1

Harry's eyes flickered open, and he gasped a deep lungful of air.

"She needs me!" he yelled. With a herculean effort, he kicked the door to his cupboard open, jerking the lock into a unrecognizable mess. He didn't know where she was, but his expression steeped and he walked out of the house, sprinting in the direction of the mesmerizing call.

Between one step and the next, he vanished, shattering every piece of glass on the street in an echoing boom as he left.

 _Line Break_

He appeared in a lush forest, and his heart sang at the feeling in his chest. He glanced around anxiously before he spotted her.

He walked up, his steely determination fading to uncertainty and anxiousness. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She startled and looked up. Just like in his dream, she had long blonde hair and green eyes. She spoke, and he realized that he didn't understand her language at all.

"I'm sorry, I only know english." he admitted.

She paused, and seemed to realize somewhat what he was saying. She pointed at herself.

"Kusano." she enunciated clearly.

Harry nodded, and pointed at himself too. "Harry."

She said some more words that he didn't understand, before repeating a word, pointing at him.

"What?" he asked.

She pointed at him again. "Ashikabi." she repeated.

"What's an Ashikabi?" he asked.

Then she kissed him.

Green wings of glowing light erupted from her back as he watched in shock.

"Ashikabi." she repeated, but this time, he could _feel_ the emotion in it. It was warm, and happy and... loving?

She jumped forward and hugged him, and he fell back in shock.

"Kusano?" he asked.

"Harry." she said, and he wished he could understand her. "You are my Ashikabi." she said, and he blinked in an entirely new form of surprise.

"I understood that." he said aloud.

She looked at him with wonder. "You can speak japanese after all?" she asked happily.

He blinked again. "I don't know, it sounds like English to me."

She hugged him again. "You are my ashikabi! We're going to be together forever!"

Harry didn't really understand, but he could admit that he liked the idea. Together forever...

 _Line Break_

Harry learned that Kusano, or Ku, was a member of a humanoid alien race known as Sekirei, which were a species known for remarkable feats of energy and physical capability. An example being that she admitted to having caused the massive forest that they were currently located.

She seemed embarassed, until she finally looked over to see him staring at the massive trees with undisguised admiration.

"You managed to do all of this? That's brilliant!"

She smiled, reassured, before they both turned to the sound of someone rustling the underbrush.

A woman stepped out. She had brown hair and eyes and a black gown on. Harry instantly disliked her, either because Kusano tried to back away or because of the cruel expression on her face.

"Oh? Two children? Back away from the green girl, brat." she ordered, pulling a scythe from her back.

"What kind of place is this?" Harry muttered. As far as he was aware, you couldn't swing weapons around at people in Britain.

The woman stepped forward more, her face twisting into a malicious grin as she readied her scythe. In turn, Ku backed away, wrapping herself up in a ball.

Harry's eyes narrowed, and he scowled at the woman. "Go away." he ordered.

She laughed. "What are you gonna do about it, brat? I could end you."

He glared, and was somewhat pleasantly surprised when she vanished.

"Uh... you think she just ran off?" Harry asked.

Ku looked at him, bewildered... and then poked him in the stomach.

"What?" he asked.

"You did it." she said, curiosity etched on her face.

"Why do you think that? I'm no one special... I'm just Harry."

She cocked her head to the side. "No, you're my Ashikabi. That makes you super special!"

He slowly nodded, and then sat down next to her. All of a sudden, it hit him.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

Kusano looked just as lost as him for a second before gasping in utter delight. "Look!" she said, holding something out to him.

"A credit card?" Harry realized.

"It has lots of money!" Ku told him.

He slowly took it, and looked at himself and then her.

"I guess we could go get some clothes first..." he said slowly.

Troubles forgotten, Ku took his hand and led him merrily out of the forest.


	2. Chapter 2

Kusano seemed impressed with the change in her Ashikabi after he changed into some new clothes. Old gray clothes that felt like they may drip sludge were exchanged for the first set of new clothing that he remembered ever owning

Ku also got new clothes, but they were just different variations of the sundresses that she was already wearing.

The next thing that Harry and Ku did was go to a restaraunt, and have a nice meal.

"Excuse me?" a man interrupted, making the two children look at him.

He looked confused, and was holding a phone.

"It's for you?" he said uncertainly.

Harry took the phone curiously.

"HELLO!"

Harry hit the end call button. "I'd block that number." he suggested, rubbing his ear in pain.

The man nodded and walked away, declining another call without looking back.

They finished their meal and walked through the streets. For Kusano, this was her first time seeing anything except a lab, and for Harry the island nation was so vastly different from where he grew up that his experiences were just as disjointed.

As they passed a storefront, a large display of televisions flickered on, and an enthusiastic greeting called out.

Unfortunately for the man in the t.v., Harry ignored him with the ease of a boy who ignores a grown man and his son yelling at the volume of gunfire every day.

"Where do you think we could find a place to stay, Ku?" Harry asked.

"Takami told me about a nice lady in the north." she volunteered.

"A nice lady?" Harry mused. "Okay. Let's see if we can figure out where she is."

They started running as only children do as every phone within 40 meters of them rang at once. But they were already gone.

 _Line Break_

Kusano finally stopped at a street corner, looking somewhat apprehensive.

"I can feel other Sekirei over there." she told him.

He smiled. "Maybe they got told about the place by Takami too?" he offered.

She looked at him with surprise. It seemed to fit perfectly! Without a second thought, they ran over and knocked on the door.

A woman with purple hair answered, looking for all the world a polite and traditional woman.

"Hello?" she said inquisitively.

"Are you the nice lady?" Ku asked boldly.

The woman blinked, the only sign of her surprise. According to her tenants, she was an intimidating presence that left them sleeping uncomfortably.

"The one with a room we can stay in?" Harry corrected slightly, peering into the older woman's eyes.

That matched... better... than _nice lady_ did. "I have rooms." she admitted slowly, looking at the two of them.

"Takami said you were a nice lady." Ku repeated, looking at the woman curiously.

"She didn't mention you were a Sekirei though." Harry said suspiciously.

The woman stiffened, before forcing herself to relax. They were children, after all. "I keep it a secret. I'd appreciate it if you did the same." she said quietly.

"Can we have a room?" Ku asked.

The woman blinked again. "I am Miya, the landlady. All are welcome in Maison Izumo as long as they follow the rules." Miya declared.

"Yay! We found a place to stay Harry!" Kusano shouted, before dragging him into the building, a curious Miya following them.

Again, a television erupted into noise as a man tried to address them. This time, the tv had been powered off and Miya started at the vicious static.

Harry unplugged the tv immediately. "Must be some kind of power issue." he claimed.

Miya raised an eyebrow. Did these two really not get their introductory speech yet? They weren't very helpful, she supposed, but then why would Harry have any indication of what a Sekirei was?

"How did you know I was a Sekirei?" she asked curiously.

Harry regarded her with surprise. "How did I know? You have naturally purple hair and you tried to draw a sword the second you saw Ku."

Oh, good. Most Ashikabi and Sekirei were without common sense, so she was unlikely to be in this situation again. The leading theory was that busty woman who split clothes like paper were more distracting than anything else they may see.

"Ah. My apologies then. There is no fighting at Maison Izumo, and I was worried that you may initiate a conflict."

"Conflict?" Harry asked, surprised. "Why would we fight people?"

Wait, they really hadn't talked to Minaka? "It's part of a gambit called the Sekirei plan. Minaka wants people to collect Sekirei and make them fight with the intention to proclaim either the winner or himself as a god. The reward is to survive with your Sekirei, as they'll be decomissioned if they lose."

Harry's surprise faded to a neutral mask. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"Losers are to be killed or examined, ripped from their Ashikabi forever."

"That's about what I thought I'd hear." Harry said coldly. "Where does this Minaka live?"

Miya blinked in surprise, but, never one to ignore a question, she answered. "The largest skyscraper in the city, near the center of the island."

"Thank you." Harry said, and walked towards the door. "Hey Ku, I'm going to the store for a bit. You stay here with Miya and pick out a room." he said casually.

The door clicked silently behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Miya watched the grim faced child leave with a small amount of worry.

"He's not going to confront Minaka, is he?" she asked with a frown. There were, after all, armed guards and violent Sekirei guarding the place. The poor boy would get killed.

"He said he was going to the store." Ku replied, her trust absolute.

Miya stared at the closed door for a few minutes more. "You're right. Let's get you a room, shall we?"

 _Line Break_

It was a few hours until Harry knocked on the door again. He was greeted by an enthusiastic Ku, with a concerned Miya behind her.

"Hey Ku!" he greeted with a smile.

"Harry!" she responded by tackling him with a hug, before gasping. "You're bleeding!"

Harry touched his cheek, and his fingers came back red. "Ah. So it would seem." he replied calmly. "It doesn't hurt much, so it's fine. I got you something while I was out."

Ku, being just as young as he, though immeasurably more innocent, immediately concentrated on the new present. It was a phone, and Miya's eyes narrowed as she saw him hastily wipe off a red substance from the box before handing it over.

Dread growing, she slowly grabbed the television remote and hit power, having reconnected the power cord earlier.

"Breaking News: It seems that Minaka Hiroto, noted CEO and founder of MBI, was found dead in his executive office. The details have been hushed, but it appears as if it may have been natural. First responders have noted that it looks as if the man slipped and died from the impact..."

Miya shut it back off, and glanced back at her new tenant. He was smiling and sitting next to his Sekirei, showing her what little he knew about phones.

Nah, he couldn't have done anything. He probably tripped when he went to the store and cut himself.

That's what she told herself, ignoring that the cut matched exactly the look of a blade. Too clean and precise to be a rock or tree branch.

 _Line Break_

Harry and Ku both had their first experience with a group dinner, sitting at a table with their housemates. For Kusano, she had grown up in lab conditions, and had small meals in a sterile, cafeteria like environment. For Harry, he was used to making such a meal, then eating very little of it, either in a corner or standing in the kitchen.

Ku delved into the experience with the same joy and delight that she gave many actions, full of enthusiasm and cheerful smiles.

"Thank you for the food!" she cried to Miya, who smiled indulgently at her.

Harry observed the other patrons of Maison Izumo. There was a pale teenager, or maybe young man, with white hair and slim fitting clothing. It was collared, and judging by the way the collar rested, Harry assumed it was to appear well dressed, but not actually for business meetings or formal arrangements.

Harry then presumed that the man worked at some kind of nightclub, or perhaps a high class bar. Mostly because of the way he fingered a pack of cigarettes and looked as if had just awoken.

Next was an odd pair, a dark haired boy/man around college age, and a Sekirei dressed like a shrine maiden. The easiest way to tell that she was a Sekirei, beyond her strange clothing and sturdy gloves, was probably that she introduced herself as a fist-type Sekirei as soon as they met.

Then there was a busty young woman with brown hair. She was somewhat quiet, but enthusiastically joined in whenever the others grew loud. Harry was already well acquainted with the fact that the girl seemed to have a closet full of costumes of every size. She had asked him to wear some, which he politely declined.

Then there was he and Kusano, and finally the landlady, Miya.

"Why haven't you eaten anything?" Miya asked, polite worry in her voice.

"Why hasn't the other Sekirei come down to eat?" he asked, eyeing his food distrustfully.

Contrary to the dark haired teen and his shrine maiden Sekirei's thoughts, a loud thump from upstairs told them that Harry was correct.

"Well, Matsu was hiding from MBI. With Minaka dead though, I suppose she should start joining us for dinner again..." Miya mused, having decided that ignoring oddities was easier than trying to find answers from the quiet child.

Harry nodded, and proceeded to eat. Unfortunately for him, he, Kusano, and the 'fist-type Sekirei' Musubi were the only ones who continued.

Noises echoed through the inn, and rushed footsteps led to a quite frazzled redhead barging into the dining room.

"How did you know I was in there!?" she asked/demanded loudly.

Minato, the dark haired college looking kid, jumped, turning towards her, since he was the closest. "Uh, hey? Nice to meet you..." he said anxiously. It was clear he was bad at socializing

Matsu held her hand in front of his face. "That's nice, now shut up." she ordered. Minato complied meekly.

"You. How did you know?" Matsu asked again.

Harry took another bite of his food, wiped his mouth with a napkin, then turned and addressed Miya. "Thank you very much for the food. It was wonderful."

"It was no problem. I make dinner every night here, and I'm willing to cut prices on rent if you help out in the kitchen." Miya replied cheerfully. Annoying Matsu was one of her favorite pasttimes.

Matsu had never looked so offended in her life. Miya would know, she'd been there for most of it.

The insult redoubled when, instead of addressing her afterwards, he turned to his Sekirei. "Did you enjoy your meal Ku?"

The blonde girl nodded happily. "It was sooo good!" she agreed enthusiastically.

"Don't forget to thank Miya." Harry reminded her.

"Thank you!" Ku said. She looked adorable, all dimpled cheeks and toothy grins.

"You're very welcome, Kusano."

"Excuse me?" Matsu interrupted loudly. "I was talking to you, brat." she growled angrily.

Harry turned, regarding her indifferently. His eyes were vibrant, and catching. "I won't talk to someone who isn't willing to address me politely. I don't owe anyone answers, and I definitely don't appreciate someone who demands them after using dishonest means to fuss out secrets already."

With that, he tossed a small object towards her, took Ku by her hand, thanked Miya again, and left the dining room.

On the center of the table, where Harry tossed it, was a small camera.


	4. Chapter 4

The assembled patrons were left watching the door that the two children had left out of before Homura finally interrupted the silence.

"Does anyone know how old that kid is?"

The silence was telling.

"Er... his last name?"

There was again, no answer.

"Miya?" he asked, surprised.

"He... distracted me." she admitted. "I haven't met many humans who immediately figured out that I was a Sekirei."

"You're a Sekirei?" Minato gasped.

"See?"

"I think I do. He seems a little... let's not try and pry. I suppose it must be difficult for a kid to have a Sekirei. I wonder if his parents kicked him out or what."

Miya froze. It suddenly occured to her that she had never figured out why a small boy was alone with a Sekirei anyway. Beyond the fact that Kusano shouldn't have been allowed out of the adjustors grasp yet, it would be difficult to find a child that could have wandered up and winged her.

Then, they found an inn to stay at instead of trying to go home? Or worse... they tried to go home, and weren't let in.

A painted picture that even the 'heartless and sadistic' Sekirei No. 1 couldn't stop from plucking her heartstrings.

Homura sighed. "Really Miya? I thought you were better with people. Let's just watch over them and try not to pry. I'm sure it'll sort itself out."

 _Line Break_

The Sekirei plan in tatters, and rumors of a new C.E.O to MBI settled onto the backs of relieved Sekirei and Ashikabi alike. With the rumors of new management, there were three severe changes.

The first was that Sekirei were no longer confined in the country, but told they were not allowed to permanently move out until they could blend in with humanity well enough not to be caught by people unaware of the Sekirei's existence. Removing the feeling of being confined meant that many Ashikabi felt more relaxed, less imprisoned.

Second, an arena was built and maintained by MBI where the Sekirei who enjoyed fighting could face one another. With the advanced medical equipment of MBI, Sekirei had little danger of being permanently injured or killed, and they were to be reactivated if their Tama forced them to shut down.

Third and finally, forced wingings of Sekirei were immediately and brutally punished. With the hidden CEO of MBI on the side of freedom and independence, with all the access to research and technology of the ship that came to earth, it was easy to manipulate the bonds on unhappy or abused Sekirei to unwing them again.

This newer realm of possibilities was what Albus Dumbledore, complete with a artifact linked to blood and a letter to deliver, arrived to. Almost two years after Harry Potter arrived in Japan.


	5. Chapter 5

The wrinkles in his face warped into a small smile. "Here it is, I believe." he said to himself as he tucked a small silver object into one of his numerous pockets. He reached out and gently rapped the door three times. For luck.

The woman that answered was quite young, and physically beautiful to look at. In his long years he had grown to enjoy the beauty of all things, even if he did not find them appealing in the more... physical manners.

Luckily for the man, he had the forethought to cast a translation charm upon his glasses. While in contact with his skin, he could understand what people were saying, and since he used the spell on his spectacles, he could read the local signs too.

"Hello madame. I have come looking to invite Harry Potter to a special school. He was enrolled by his parents when he was born, and his attendance is expected." he said, struggling to be as polite as possible. In reality, he was desperate to see the boy. How could he, a man who had loved his family enough that the death of his sister had irreversibly changed his life, possibly imagine someone _purposefu_ _lly_ mistreating their flesh and blood?

The Dursleys were rather... occupied. Shame that Harry Potter wouldn't manage to ever see them again. Not that Albus Dumbledore thought that would be an issue.

"Potter?" the woman replied, interrupting his internal dialogue. "His middle name, please? To ensure you have the correct one, that is."

Dumbledore blinked, but he supposed that Harry was a fairly common given name, and Potter was a remnant from when family names were the profession of the dynasty. "James. Harry James Potter."

The woman smiled, and turned. It worried Dumbledore to see her smile turn eerie and vindictive as she turned.

"Harry James Potter!" she shouted. It echoed through the house, and Albus felt fairly sure that he saw some windows rattle. "Come here!"

"Damn it Miya, how'd you find out?" a young voice was heard.

As he came into view and Albus finally saw a glimpse of emerald eyes and black hair, he saw and heard a sickening crack as Miya slammed a wooden ladle onto the top of his head.

"There is no swearing in Maison Izumo." she said sweetly, danger in her undertone.

Harry laughed it off. "Of course not Miya. I was just so influenced by Seo. It's all his fault."

She smiled too. "So shamelessly blaming others for your uncouth manners. I thought you were better than that, Harry."

It was here that Albus finally noticed that Harry must have inherited his mother's eyes more completely than the first medical charms had suggested, as he didn't have glasses or contacts in. A deeper look revealed that the mysterious lightning bolt scar had faded greatly in time, despite what his early medical charms and worried thoughts would have suggested.

Again, he was interrupted as someone finally addressed him.

"See, this man here knew your name. It seems that you were enrolled at birth to a school, and he has come to invite you to it."

"What school?" Harry asked blankly.

Albus hesitated. "Er, are you his guardian?" he asked the woman, Miya.

"I am the landlady." she replied simply. "The matron, even."

Dumbledore considered what he knew of the Statute of Secrecy, before shrugging. Outside of broadcasting magic to the entire world, it was fairly lax. There were even several cities and towns where the entire nonmagical population knew about mystics.

"Good enough for me." he said cheerfully, winking conspiratorially at Harry. "I have come to extend an invitation to my school, Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Witchcraft and wizardry, you say?" Harry asked, arching a brow questioningly. "What does it teach?"

"Magic, my boy." Albus said theatrically.

"Okay." Harry accepted. "I got that. What is the goal of the school in the end? What is necessary to graduate?"

"Oh." Dumbledore said. "The true goal of Hogwarts is to teach you enough magic to be able to control it and not kill yourself, and to make sure you don't break the laws regarding allowing non magical folk to know about magic."

"Hmm." Harry hummed. "Are there closer schools?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I believe the closest would be france, if only by a bit. I suppose America's may be close the other way around, but if you take magical transportation then they will all be similar distances. I feel obligated to boast that my school is the best, though be fair it is a personal opinion."

Harry took the letter and flipped it open. It was a casual move with one hand, little more than a flick of his wrist, and something that made the old wizard believe that Harry was all too well versed in paperwork.

"What is the policy on bringing other people? Could I bring Kusano?" he asked.

Dumbledore paused. While he wasn't the type to _try_ to pry into people's mind, it was a simple fact that studying and growing incredibly proficient in legilimency made one incredibly likely to pick up on surface thoughts. Right now, despite the young boy's passive demeanor, he could sense all too well that this question was a make or break.

"Well, if there was a case to be made that she was magical in some way, then yes. I could enroll her. There would be no way if she didn't have magic."

"How could you tell?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, there are a few spells that could tell me." he hazarded. They weren't exactly legal or illegal, most likely because no one knew them unless they studied incredibly ancient tomes. Most of those were considered frowned upon by the government types.

"Please try them on Miya here, if they are harmless." Harry ordered.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand and gave it a little twirl. "She doesn't appear to be magical at all." he said. He wasn't surprised.

"I see." Harry replied. "Ku?" he called. "Can you come in?"

A blond girl, the aforementioned Kusano, entered immediately, telling Albus that she had likely been listening at the door.

"Again?" Harry asked, gesturing to her.

Dumbledore complied, casting another detection charm. "No, I'm afraid not. However, she has enough latent magical potential to be considered a squib instead of a completely non magical person."

Harry nodded. "Ku? Are you ready?" he asked, smiling reassuringly to her.

She smiled back, and gave him a peck on the lips.

Raw green wings blossomed from her back, filling the room. Dumbledore, for the first time in many decades, was absolutely dumbfounded.

"Again, Mister Dumbledore." Harry prodded, and he wordlessly complied without thinking. His test was matched by his own senses, as he was somewhat gifted at sensing magic, and the girl was suddenly full of it.

"Yes." he whispered, shock preventing him from speaking normally. "She has plenty."

"So she can attend with me?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore paused. "I... don't know. Someone may notice that she has to kiss you in order to use magic. Do the wings disappear? And is there any other indicator that she isn't an average human?"

"The wings fade after a small while, usually dependant on the power boost. She'll still be strong for a decent hour or two afterward, and besides the wings appearing she has a symbol at the top of her back. It's the only other visible sign."

"Is there any way to channel magic into her in a less flashy way?" Dumbledore asked, still concerned about his board of governors. He still got flak for letting Remus Lupin into the school, and that had been more than two decades ago. Not to mention Hagrid, for four decades.

"Yes." Harry replied simply.

"As long as you can keep it subtle, maybe make it sound as if you two are in an arranged marriage or..."

Harry cut him off. "We are married."

After the wing display earlier, Dumbledore didn't bat an eye. "That will simplify things greatly. As long as you two can keep it a secret that she isn't as average as any other witch, then I'll get her enrolled. I apologize that secrecy will be needed."

It wasn't until after he had left, satisfied that a happy young man was going to attend Hogwarts, that he realized that he had spoke with Harry Potter as if he was an equal, rather than a student.


	6. Chapter6

Kuu made it much too difficult for him to back out, which Harry immediately wanted to do after arriving in Britain. Besides his... childhood... he also simply missed the sights of Japan. The streets were cleaner, at least in Shinto Teito, and they had some of his favorite foods and places. The Sekirei themselves were intriguing and fun to be around, while it seemed that his first twenty minutes back in his homeland consisted of being ignored, having noses turn up at him, or being worshipped like a god whenever they saw his forehead and the faint scar.

But Kusano was excited to learn about magic, and he couldn't deny her anything if she really wanted it.

That probably explained why she had a greenhouse full of exotic plants back home, and why she was currently scarfing down a bowl of ice cream. He swore that Sekirei had some magic of their own that could make their eyes bigger and more innocent on command, though Minato had informed him that it was expected with anyone from Japan.

As it were, Harry soon had Kuu follow him into a bank where he had been informed he had some inherited wealth from his deceased parents.

As he walked through the admittedly nice marble bank, he saw more and more of the strange tellers, goblins, he had been told, widening their eyes in alarm and shrinking away from the adorable eleven year old Sekirei.

This was probably a good move, Harry had to agree, but it was insightful for those who hadn't met Kusano before. A little too insightful.

Finally, he walked up to a teller and managed to see the resigned acceptance and defeat on the goblin's face.

"I need to see my vault. I'm Harry Potter, and I have my key."

"Harry Potter." It muttered quietly. Harry had the distinct impression it was committing his name to memory.

"Haaaaaaaarrrryyyyyyyyyy" Kusano whined. "I'm boorrrrred."

Harry absently pet her head as he kept his attention on the goblin. Kusano smiled and wriggled happily in his touch, causing the goblin's eyes to widen again in amazement.

"Harry Potter..." it said again, with awed reverence.

Harry sighed. "Yeah. That's me. Can I please just go withdraw some money from my vault?" he asked.

The goblin didn't react for a moment, before it finally realized what Harry had asked. "Oh, yes... GRIPHOOK!" He shouted. The bank was silent as everyone watched a goblin sprint from behind the counters to stand next to the teller.

"Escort Harry Potter... Lord Potter and his... to his vault." the teller hissed, his expression as serious as possible.

Griphook nodded, intimidated but determined, only to blanch when he made brief eye contact with Kuu.

"Right this way, Lord Potter." Griphook said respectfully, very carefully keeping himself from turning his back to Kusano.

"Can we look for some cool plants after this?" Kusano asked cutely. Many goblins flinched in fear, and watched as Harry nodded his agreement and kissed her hand.

"He didn't even flinch..." a goblin whispered in awe. "Gave it his own two lips without hesitation."

"He taunted it, didn't even give it what it wants..." another hissed lowly.

"It looks... happy. Like it loved not getting its' nourishment."

A goblin with greater authority finally cut their whispers off. "This Harry Potter has tamed one of _them_ , seemingly without effort. Until we receive further information, we will treat him as a priority customer. Who knows how strong he may be."

~ _Line Break_ ~

After grabbing their gold and ignoring the reverent awe and hasty dodging away of the goblins (and didn't a few people back home act the same way?) they walked out of the bank and made to gather their school supplies.

Books and robes were a mindless search and grab, and was therefore done without much thought. The only thing occupying his attention was trying to keep Kusano entertained enough that she didn't run off.

Finally, they went to receive their wands.

"Mister Potter. I've been expecting you..." the old man who ran the wand shop announced, seeming to appear from the woodwork.

"But who might this be... or rather, who and what?" Ollivander asked curiously.

"This is Kusano. Kusano Potter." Harry declared firmly.

"I see." The man said, and he certainly seemed to be seeing into their souls with his sharp gray eyes. "Bonded wands, for certain."

With that, he was off, hastily shifting through boxes and smiling unsettlingly.

"Here, Holly, both at 12 inches, with a mated pair of dragon heartstrings."

The wands were snatched away before they could even touch them. Since they had started to sprout flowers, that might have been a fair reason.

"Hmm, how about Holly and unicorn tail hairs from a single unicorn."

The wands screamed as soon as Harry brushed one.

"Not the core then, how about Hawthorn?"

Wand after wand was missed until finally, "Ah, how about Oak and dragon heartstring?"

These were a match. In Harry's hands, they watched the wood floor of Ollivander's shop slowly rejuvenate and sprout shoots of whatever tree made them up.

He handed one to Kusano and she smiled, her eyes flaring brighter. The saplings shot up a little faster. They had barbs.

"Right. That'll be 14 Galleons for the pair. I think we can expect interesting things from you, Mister and Missus Potter."


	7. Chapter7

Miya smiled sweetly at them and messed with the kids' hair as they got ready to take off.

"You two will be safe right? We don't need anyone else to come by with you or anything?" she asked pointedly.

"We'll be fine. Apprently this school has a really good gardening program, and Kuu is really excited to go."

"And you?" Miya asked with a small frown. "Are you not wanting to go?"

"Hmm. No, I don't mind going, but I'm not particularly excited. Kuu is excited, and that's good enough for me. Besides, Takami can handle things without me."

"Hmm. I'm sure she can, but you know that she likes checking with you." Miya said.

Harry smiled gently. "Yeah. I can get mail and stuff though, and I have my phone."

Miya shrugged. "Well, you two should head off then. It's best to be a bit early."

Harry nodded and took his Sekirei's hand. He pulled a small marble out of his pocket and flashed the residents of Izumo Inn a small smile before they disappeared.

~ _Line Break_ ~

The portkey took them to a place just inside the platform on King's Cross Station, 9 3/4, where the Hogwarts Express was docked.

Already, the refuse on the ground and the large crowds of people who didn't mind jostling and pushing through him were getting on his nerves.

"C'mon love. Let's find a seat." Harry grumbled, boarding the train with Kusano holding his hand.

They found several empty compartments, but kept pushing back until they were seeing entire empty carriages before picking a seat.

"It's so colorful!" Kusano cheered, staring with awe at the pulsating crowd of wizards and witches.

"Yeah..." Harry agreed without enthusiasm. "And noisy."

"It's nice. It reminds me of home." Kuu said with a smile.

Harry gave her a small smile of his own. "I suppose that's true. Still, I would rather we got a little more peace and quiet."

His wish was not to be granted, as the door to their compartment opened to reveal a red headed boy. He had hand-me-down robes and dirt on his face.

"C-can I sit here? Everywhere else is full..." the boy asked hopefully.

"Sure!" Kuu agreed immediately, a guileless smile lighting up her face.

"Just keep it down. I'm getting a headache." Harry said, glancing the kid over once before shifting to get more comfortable. Unseen to the boy, Harry relaxed his fist and withdrew his hand from where he kept his wand.

"Right. Sorry..." the kid said. "By the way, my name is Ron Weasley."

"Harry Potter. This is Kusano Potter."

If he hadn't been told to be quiet earlier, the way his eyes widened and his mouth opened would have led to Ron immediately questioning the hell out of them, but instead his mouth closed and his teeth clicked.

"Uh, nice to meet you?" Ron finally said quietly. "Did you say she was a Potter? I thought you were the last one?"

"Harry is my husband." Kuu replied cheerfully.

Ron looked befuddled after that, and conversation ground to a halt.

Kusano eventually started humming happily, filling the silence.

After nearly half an hour, with which the train left the station and made it's merry way to Hogwarts, the compartment opened again to reveal a bushy brown haired girl.

"Has any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one."

"Not in here. Did you try the bathroom?" Harry asked.

"Oh. No, we hadn't. By the way, I'm Hermione Granger."

"Ron Weasley." Ron said quietly.

"Harry and Kusano Potter." Harry said firmly.

"Harry Potter? I've read about you! People always wonder whether you were related to Minaka or if you just had an in with the company."

Harry smiled. It wasn't very genuine, just a good P.R. smile. "You could say that I was very close to him before he died."

"And you're a wizard too? Any relation to the famous Harry Potter that had some kind of role in the disappearance of 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?'"

"One and the same. I must say Miss Granger, you sure do your homework."

The girl flushed. "Well, I try to be diligent..."

"It shows. But weren't you searching for a toad?" Harry asked.

"Oh! I forgot. Maybe we can talk more later?" She asked shyly.

"Don't be a stranger, then."

Hermione left, flushed and in an entirely different mood than she had entered with.

"Blimey mate. It didn't seem like you _could_ smile. What was all that about?" Ron asked.

"Imagine that you grow up and do everything you ever dreamed of. You received fame and acknowledgment, money and acceptance. You're a familiar name to everyone. Then, you go to... let's say your families' house, and the sole achievement they remark on you is that you managed to live that long. How would you feel?"

Ron tried to picture it. He couldn't quite grasp it, but he understood the sentiment. His family kept appearing in the image, and he couldn't possibly imagine them being ignorant to what he'd done.

"I think I get it. You're in charge of a company or something? And everyone here is just wondering about the Boy-Who-Lived."

"There is one upside, I suppose." Harry mused.

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"Most witches and wizards will understand it best when they learn I have an oak wand."

Ron decided he didn't really want to be in this compartment any more.


End file.
